This Soy Free Teriyaki Sauce is easy to make and gluten free – so everyone can enjoy! It takes about 5 minutes to make a batch, and is a super easy way to make an everyday meal delicious! A gluten free teriyaki sauce is a great way to ensure everyone can enjoy the meal.
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An Easy, Delicious, Soy Free Teriyaki Sauce
I’ve been so excited to share this recipe for over a month, but have been too busy to actually photograph it! Since I came up with this simple, easy (DEElicious!) recipe, we have been making it every week. Monday’s have become our official “teriyaki” night. It’s so simple to saute some veggies, poach some chicken or fish, and steam a pot of rice or other grain. I make a huge batch, and we have healthy lunches for a few days also.
This is definitely one of those back-pocket recipes that are so important to have in your clean-eating kitchen arsenal. Buying teriyaki sauce at the store will derail your efforts.
A Soy and Gluten Free Teriyaki Sauce Alternative
A typical teriyaki sauce is loaded with refined sugar – a serving of a store bought brand has close to 15 grams of sugar for a serving similar to this recipe (which has 8 grams of sugar). Another reason I prefer to make my own condiments is that I get to control the quality of the ingredients. I prefer soy and gluten free alternatives, so I use Coconut Aminos in this recipe. There are options in case you’d prefer to use gluten free Tamari or regular soy sauce in place of it.
The first few times I made this I put it in the microwave! It certainly works just fine — but I’ve been making it in a sauce pot the last few times because I find it gets a bit thicker. Do what works for you in the time you have!
This version has toasted sesame oil — so much delicious flavor and healthy fats! I like this addition because I typically serve this with poached chicken or fish, and steamed veggies and rice. Sesame oil is a great source of vitamin E and is one of my favorite oils to cook with.
If you’re thinking this chicken teriyaki is looking pretty delicious, you don’t need a recipe for it! You can use leftover roast chicken, or just lightly poach chicken breasts or saute them in sesame oil. In a pinch, you can use a microwave bag of steam-fresh vegetables (frozen vegetables are a great way to get them in when you have a very busy schedule!). Otherwise, just chop up a few stir fry veggies and lightly steam them.
Tips for a Healthy Teriyaki Sauce
- Don’t want to buy Coconut Aminos? It’s a great soy-free alternative, so I love to use it. We have also made this with tamari (gluten free soy sauce), but Coconut Aminos are less strong/salty. If you sub tamari (or soy sauce), use 3 tablespoons tamari, and 1/4 cup water (in place of the amounts in the recipe).
- Make it Gluten Free: Both Coconut Aminos and Tamari are gluten free. Avoid soy sauce if you need this recipe to be strictly gluten free.
- Save time:Â This recipe can be MICROWAVED! Which is actually how I started off making it. After combining all ingredients, whisk with a fork (don’t worry about removing all the clumps). Microwave for 40 seconds, whisk again, and then microwave for 30 seconds more. You might have to do this 3-4 times before the sauce begins to thicken, and it will thicken more once it’s been refrigerated.
- Make it Paleo: Coconut Aminos are Paleo, but date syrup is not. To keep this refined sugar free, you can sub honey, but it will give your sauce a honey flavor, which is why I prefer date syrup. If you also don’t use rice wine vinegar, sub 1 Tbsp. of white wine vinegar in place of it.
Soy Free Teriyaki Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp date syrup
- 1 tbsp sesame oil toasted
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp arrowroot powder
- 1/4-1/2 tsp ginger powder
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan (or microwaveable dish). Whisk together.
- Bring mixture to a low simmer, and allow to gently simmer for 2 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened nicely.
- Drizzle on rice, veggies, chicken, salmon, shrimp, or tofu, for a simple and delicious meal! We love to garnish our teriyaki bowls with toasted sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Other Easy Condiment Recipes:
- 2 Minute Healthy Ketchup, by Simple Vegan Blog
- Vegan Sriracha Ranch Dressing, by Simply Fresh Dinners
- Spicy Thai Almond Salad Dressing, by Sunkissed Kitchen
- Homemade Enchilada Sauce, by Sunkissed Kitchen
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Recommended for this Recipe
To make a soy free teriyaki sauce, you’ll need to seek out Coconut Aminos. They are available at Whole Foods and similar stores, but if you’re an Amazon Prime member, just order a bottle!
Coconut Aminos has a similar flavor to soy sauce, but it is made from coconut tree sap and salt. It is less strong, and less salty than traditional soy sauce or tamari. When I make this teriyaki sauce with tamari, I use more water than tamari, but I use only a small amount of water with the coconut aminos and the flavor is almost identical.
Many people are intolerant to soy, or avoid it because of food allergies or specific diet requirements. Soy is also one of the largest GMO crops, which is another good reason to avoid it.
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a small percentage of any purchases made.
Love this healthy recipe, Michelle, and so quick and easy to prepare! We look at the sugar content of so many foods but I think many of us forget to check on the condiments. Great shots, too!
Thanks Robyn. I have stopped buying most condiments at the store because they are healthier and just taste better when made at home! Sugar content, but also the amount of preservatives in a lot of them is such a turn off!
Agree! Especially the sodium content. Yikes!
I love how simple this is and I can think of a ton of uses for this. I am going to try this for sure!
It’s so super easy Luci! We have been using it often to make our simple dinners taste better!
This looks delicious!
This is exactly the recipe I need for tofu and other goodies. Thanks!
It makes dinner so simple! Love flavorful sauces — then just steam or poach and a healthy delicious dinner is served 🙂
I’ve seen several recipes that suggest coconut aminos. I’m intrigued to give it a try. Definitely going to make this since it’s perfect since I’ve limit sugars in my diet!
I love teriyaki sauce its so delicious – What a great way to have a much healthier teriyaki dinner.
Just discovered you! Would love to try this recipe. Do you know if date syrup is a low FODMAP food? My research hasn’t turned up anything. Thank you and I will definitely keep following you and your wonderful recipes
Thank you so much, Linda! Dates are high in FODMAPs, so I imagine it isn’t a good choice if you need to avoid them. In your case, I would just swap the date syrup for brown sugar or brown rice malt syrup.
I’m so happy I came across this recipe!
How long is it’s shelf life and do I store it in the fridge or cupboard?
I keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks. It will slightly harden when chilled, so when you need to use it, just add a little hot water and whisk.
If the point of the recipe is to be soy free, why would you suggest putting it on tofu (soy)?
Great point!